Inferable

in·fer  (n-fûr)

v. in·ferred, in·fer·ring, in·fers

v.tr.

1. To conclude from evidence or premises.

2. To reason from circumstance; surmise: We can infer that his motive in publishing the diary was less than honorable.

3. To lead to as a consequence or conclusion: "Socrates argued that a statue inferred the existence of a sculptor" (Academy).

4. To hint; imply.

v.intr.

To draw inferences.

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[Latin nferre, to bring in, adduce : in-, in; see in-² + ferre, to bear; see bher-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

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in·fera·ble adj.

in·fera·bly adv.

in·ferrer n.

Usage Note: Infer is sometimes confused with imply, but the distinction is a useful one. When we say that a speaker or sentence implies something, we mean that it is conveyed or suggested without being stated outright: When the mayor said that she would not rule out a business tax increase, she implied (not inferred) that some taxes might be raised. Inference, on the other hand, is the activity performed by a reader or interpreter in drawing conclusions that are not explicit in what is said: When the mayor said that she would not rule out a tax increase, we inferred that she had been consulting with some new financial advisers, since her old advisers were in favor of tax reductions.